My decision to purchase a car was made waiting for the bus. I suspect I am not alone in this. It was raining, the bus was late. I saw all the warm dry people in cars...
As a woman, and at the time, a single woman, I felt a bit at sea in the car-buying world. I was intending to buy a second ... Read review
Advantages: Small and nippy Disadvantages: Brakes a bit dodgy!
...My decision to purchase a citroen AX was pricipally motivated by the price, and the choice of other cars. This was the cheapest car I found that didn't look like it was about to fall apart. So I bought it.
As is apparent at this point, I don't know a lot about cars. Mt review of the citroen AX is therefore not going to be all technical, because it wouldn't be very reliable if I tried to tell you about that kind of stuff. So I will ... ...friend who also had a citroen AX of a similar age, and her brakes were really unreliable, so she got rid of the car, so I would say that there is something of a trend here, and if you are thinking of buying one, get the brakes checked out!
Fuel and Oil
My car takes petrol and it usually costs about £25 to fill it up. A tank lasts quite a while, and I think the fuel efficiency is pretty good. Similarly with oil, I check it regularly, ... more
My decision to purchase a car was made waiting for the bus. I suspect I am not alone in this. It was raining, the bus was late. I saw all the warm dry people in cars...
As a woman, and at the time, a single woman, I felt a bit at sea in the car-buying world. I was intending to buy a second hand car, but had heard all the stories and jokes about how second hand car salesmen take you for a ride. So, despite my best feminist intentions, I took a male friend with me when I looked at cars. I don't think that this made all that much difference in the long run, but I was able to look at him when the salesman turned the key in the ignition, and told me to listen to the engine!!
My decision to purchase a citroen AX was pricipally motivated by the price, and the choice of other cars. This was the cheapest car I found that didn't look like it was about to fall apart. So I bought it.
As is apparent at this point, I don't know a lot about cars. Mt review of the citroen AX is therefore not going to be all technical, because it wouldn't be very reliable if I tried to tell you about that kind of stuff. So I will focus on the things I do know about this car.
Reliability I drive quite a lot, and as my car had already done 78000 miles when I bought it, I would say that I have driven it in it's twilight years. I therefore expect the odd bump and creak from it, but it is actually a very reliable and nippy car. I have never broken down (apart from a puncture) and even on the coldest days it starts first time. Now that is impressive for an L reg car.
Handling The car is small, and relativly low, so it seems to handle corners quite well. I don't have power stearing, so it can be hard work sometimes, especially when I'm parking, but that is all part of the fun. I used to live on a really busy road where parking was very tight, and this car did really well at getting into small spaces. (I know I am a girl, but I can reverse park!)
Brakes I mentioned that a downside of this car is the brakes. When I bought it, I had new brake pads fitted, and within a year they needed replacing. In addition, the handbrake was very unreliable, and so I have always had to park in gear, and steer towards the pavement on a hill. This is obviously a huge downpoint, as safety is a critical issue. I have never felt really unsafe, but there have been a few times when I have stopped more slowly that I would have liked. Obviously all cars are a bit different, and especially on an older model, individual cars develop their own quirks, but I had a friend who also had a citroen AX of a similar age, and her brakes were really unreliable, so she got rid of the car, so I would say that there is something of a trend here, and if you are thinking of buying one, get the brakes checked out!
Fuel and Oil My car takes petrol and it usually costs about £25 to fill it up. A tank lasts quite a while, and I think the fuel efficiency is pretty good. Similarly with oil, I check it regularly, and find that I only need to top it up occasionally, which is better than most older cars. These factors combined with its reliability make running costs reasonably low for this car. (excluding tax and insurance of course)
Dashboard The speedometer is clear and well positioned in the dash board, and there is also a clock, which is very useful. There isn't a rev counter, but I don't really use them anyway, and in general the dashboard is clear and easy to read. I had a slight problem with the lighting of the dials at night, as the bulb was a little intermittent in it's power; sometimes the whole dashboard was lit, and sometimes only the middle. When I had the car serviced, I asked the mechanic about this, and he said that to fix it he would have to remove the whole dashboard and replace the bulb, which would be expensive, so I chose to wait until the bulb actually went, which it did soon afterwards, and I had it replaced, and now I can always see how fast I'm going!
Handbook The car comes with a handbook, which is quite dated in appearance, as you would expect from an older car, but it contains all the relevant information layed out in an accesible format, and also included tips on things like improving fuel economy.
Radio The radio in my car is a little bit tempermental, and doesn't like it if you change station, so it is best to listen to the same thing, or use tapes. The tape player doesn't have an automatic rewind, so you have to turn the tape over manuely, which can be annoying if you are busy changing gear, or turning a corner, but is not a great hardship. I do find that my tapes get a bit stretched thought. I could buy a new stereo for the car, but I really don't think it is worth in for such an old car, so I just make do with what is quite an average radio.
Looks My car is red, and I think that this contributes favourably to its look. It is a little faded, so it seems well loved, and has no pretence of being posh and new. I like this a lot, especially when I overtake someone in a newer car!
Interior decoration The seats are covered with a black fabric with a multi-coloured pattern on it. I don't love the pattern, but it hides the dirt, and they are pretty comfy. There isn't a lot of plasic coating the inside of the car - you can see the metal of the doors etc, which when I first got the car seemed a little exposed, and I felt like there wasn't much between me and the passing traffic. This impression faded, and although not flashy, I like the interior of the car.
Space In terms of space, I've had 4 passengers, but it isn't the most comfortable experience for those in the back. I think it would be ok for children, but I don't know many of them at the moment, and some of my taller friends were definitly looking forward to the comfort breaks on long journeys! Luggage space is ample, however, and I have moved house in this car twice (I should add that I don't own any furniture!) In addition to the boot, there are large storage areas in the doors, and a reasonably size glove compartment. There is also an area infront of the gear stick which is perfect for storing tapes, and you can get 6 in it without any falling out while you are moving.
In total, I am very fond of my car, and it does a fantastic job of getting me from A to B and back again. It is not flash or fancy, but it doesn't pretend to be and I like that about it. I do have some reservations about the brakes, and so I hold back from a full endorsment or reccomendation, but if you are satisfied it will stop, then this is a great car.
Advantages: Nice Small Reliable Car Disadvantages: Not much Space for backseat Riders.
Well this review is on my lovely blue citreon AX dimension. It is an N reg (1996) I got it for a £100 about 18 months ago. There was no gear box in the car when I got it, so that needed to be done. I didnt choose this car, I wanted something to learn to drive in, and asked my step-father for a small car, preferably black or red, but I was happy with the blue. I dont know the technical stuff about cars, so this review is just from my point of view. ... ...really comparing to anything. It is a just under 1.0cc so it isnt the most powerful of cars, but Ive gotten used to it now, and is quite easy to use when you get used to working the car. Filling the car with shopping or luggage etc. can slow it down considerably.
I think that this a very reliable car, my friend got a Y reg fiat and it has had major problems throughout the last 12 months. I drive it quite a bit and have got about 400miles in a day ...
nat85 05.08.2006
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Citroen AX
Advantages: Good acceleration, reliable, nicely finished interior Disadvantages: no powered steering on mine
...advisable to bleed the system. Citroen must have realised that this was a problem as they provide a little bleed valve. You will find it to the rear of the engine on the left hand side. It looks as though it has a tyre valve stuck on the top! It is easy to do and I strongly advise that you do!
Being French the parts are not very cheap, but I have found the car supremely reliable and have had no major problems with it.You will see the mileage I have ... ...been serviced much. It has done me proud. It is a smart, reliable car which is enjoyable to drive and I recomment it to anyone looking for a smaller car. Oh, by the way, we have had an entire string quartet in ours- 4 adults, 1 cello, 2 violins, 1 viola and boxes of music, and still felt relatively comfortable. Not bad, eh? ...
water-witch 29.09.2001
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Citroen AX
Advantages: It’s a lovely cheap and reliable car Disadvantages: It’s not the safest one in its class.
...mine gave me their old Citroen AX Debut after they were given a brand new company car and needed to be rid of it.
It’s only a 3-door version and with a little under a 1000cc engine it was the smallest I had driven since my early days on motorbikes but I was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
The first time I drove it I was impressed. It was a nippy little thing and despite being so light held the road very well.
The insurance was cheap ... ...you need to know.
Citroen don’t make the AX range anymore, the closest is their new Saxo range, which is very similar in many ways, but not I feel the same. The old AX was and still is a reliable, and economical way to get about and it’s not once let me down.
If you are searching for a second hand car you won’t go far wrong with this one…Try Fish4cars - http://fish4.co.uk/cars/search/search_results.jsp;jsessionid=55DC24771EE09FC9544175C0F6477126?thisFilename=index.jsp&resultsFilename=/cars/search/search_results.jsp&listLocationsFilename=listlocations.jsp
...
philipjohn001 03.11.2003
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Citroen AX
Advantages: nice shape, group 2 insurance, Citroen reliability, cheap road tax and low fuel consumption Disadvantages: strange pedals
...up with. It was a Citroen AX 10E. I fitted all the criteria. It has a 1 litre engine (954 cc), is a very economical model, looks good and is only group 2 insurance.
All Citroens are very reliable on the whole. My dad's used Citroen vans for the past 10 years with very few probalems. The AX I got as I have stated was the 10E. This was the base model. Therefore you may think that it is only very basic inside but I would beg to differ. It came with ... ...nice 1 litre (954 cc) Citroen engine. You may think this sounds a little underpowered, but it is actually pretty nippy, mainly thanks to the fact that the car has a very light body. It accelerates quickly and has a claimed top speed of 90 m.p.h although for an engine of this size I would have estimated a top of nearer 80 m.p.h. This is accompanied by a 4 speed gearbox.
There is plenty of room in the back for passengers which is suprising for the ...
CyrixDes 30.03.2001
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Citroen AX
Advantages: Faster than expected Disadvantages: Very little safety features
...I had and N reg Citroen AX Memphis, and overall was very please with it. It had a 1.1 injection and was suprisingly quick for such a small engine, doing 0-60mph in roughly 9 seconds, and had a top speed of roughly 105mph. It also does many miles to the gallon and is also nice to drive. The gearbox is remarkably smooth; hardly any pressure has to be applied to the gear stick in order to change gear, by far the smoothest gearbox of any car I have driven. ... ...as the driving position is quite high, which I find useful, as I am fairly short. Also the interior and dash of the car is also very nice and sophisticated. The dash, is fairly simple, but still looks very nice with nothing looking out of place or tacky. The seats are also very comfortable, as is the driving position. The seats are very soft and made out of a nice fabric. The driver’s position is fully adjustable being able to move the seat ...
RussSenior 27.08.2001
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Citroen AX
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My first experience of using the auctions to buy a car was when I was 14 and I was looking for a project to work on, I bought a CitroenAX, it was an MOT failure but still had six months tax. I paid £60 for the car, drove it home, spent a month or so tidying it up, got it through an MOT, with the help of my dad, and sold it, taxed and MOT'd for £450. I made a good profit on that car because I went early to the auction and spent a couple of hours looking through the cars with a trained mechanic until I found the one I had my heart set on. I went to the auctions and was prepared to spend £2000 on the citroen and I was shocked when I got it for only £60. I would recommend the auctions to people from all walks of life, looking for a good quality, cheap car. I would recommend you go to the auction at least 1 hour before the bidding ...
colin16 12.08.2000
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Advantages: stylish, economical, reliable, good value Disadvantages: none
Myself and my son recently visited our local Citroen dealer because we organised a test drive on a 1.1i Saxo First. This was because my son is currently looking for a new car to replace his very reliable but ageing current motor, a CitroenAX.
The Saxo has always attracted my son with its good looks and decent performance, but interestingly enough he was interested in the smallest engine option of the First. There are several reasons for this, all unbelievably and unusually sensible coming form my son!! Firstly the 1124cc engine keeps insurance costs down and also it is very light on the drink when it comes to the petrol pump. Despite this you musn't get me wrong because it is certainly no slouch, the lightweight of the body ensures that. It can accelerate very nippy around town and from traffic lights, a suprise for such a small ...
GraWar 18.07.2001
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Citroen Saxo 1.1
Advantages: Free insurance, modern, good looking Disadvantages: Very underpowered
Probably my biggest motoring mistake to date.......Don't get me wrong, the Saxo is a great little car. I had a CitroenAX GT before it, and the Saxo is a vast improvement on the old AX chassis.
I bought the car in a moment of weakness. My AX was going wrong......the bottom end was knocking like a postman and it was emitting more pollution than an old Boeing 707 (apologies to people who haven't seen a B707 taking off!!) I was bored one Saturday and was browsing through the local paper. I saw the Citroen advert offering £189 per month for a brand new Saxo with 2 years free insurance. I did a quick sum in my head and realised that the saving I would make on the ridiculous insurance I was paying on my AX GT, it wouldn't actually have been much more to have a brand new car.
I dreamed of no cold start problems, a car that had zero miles ...
xr2i16v 05.01.2001
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